[C320-list] Reducing Sun load in boat

[John Frost]

We did a version of this that works nicely. (And boy do we have a hot sun in
Alabama!)
I went to Home Depot and bought a 4x8,  inch thick sheet of exterior foam
insulation board with shiny foil on both surfaces.
I cut it in half to fit in the car.
I easily cut some oversize squares for the two sizes of port lights that I
have, then had my wife (or tape)
press them against the underside of the port light while I went top side to
use a marker to trace the dimension of the port.
I then used a knife to cut the foam maybe 1/2 inch bigger than the tracing.
I wrapped the raw edges with fil tape and used a 6" piece of the tape on 
the underside to form a tab to allow easy removal.
The material is compressible so cutting oversize gives a nice friction fit.
If you mis-cut, just do another because you will have plenty of material.

To use, open the screens and press into place and close the screens.

On a 105 degree bright day, they remain cold on the inside.


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John                           / ||  \
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-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf
Of Jeff Hare
Sent: Thursday, October 08, 2015 12:12 PM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Reducing Sun load in boat

We do the same thing. We didn't need any sticks to hold it in place however,
just cut the material to fit around the handles and hinge and it stays put
all season, even with the hatch open.

A small roll of Reflectix is great stuff.  We also cut a piece to fit across
the whole opening of the fridge below the covers (under the center divider
strip) and it cuts down the cycling of the fridge quite a bit.  Just lift it
up from either end to get at stuff underneath.

http://www.catalina320.com/article.php?story=20111224144642933

-Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf
Of Warren Updike
Sent: Thursday, October 8, 2015 9:37 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: [C320-list] Reducing Sun load in boat

When we are not on the boat, she sits in the Sun collecting lots of heat
inside. We've experimented with covers for the deck hatches for some time
and found something that works for us. We ought a roll of two-sided
reflective insulation at home store, the kind with plastic waffle interior
and reflective exterior. Cut it to the interior shape of the hatch with the
hatch closed. We used two thin strips of wood, thin enough to be quite
flexible, and long enough that they fit in the grove around the hatch ring.
The wood strips are attached to the inside of the insulation with just a
piece of silver duct tape to hold it in-place. They take only a few seconds
to install or remove. Being cheap, they are easy to replace if lost or worn.
Being flat they are easy to stow. What's not to like. The boat is now
decidedly cooler when we arrive to open her up. (Don't' use cloth duct tape.
Get a roll of the thin silver tape with paper backing. This lasts much
longer and is not heat sensitive.)

 

Warren and Pattie Updike

1994 C320 "Warr de Mar" #62